A Superclásico in Argentina always has consequences for the team that comes out on the losing side… regardless of each team’s current form. Boca Juniors is currently leading the Argentine Professional League. However, the recent loss at El Monumental against River Plate led Juan Román Riquelme to dismiss Fernando Gago as Boca Juniors head coach.

“It hasn’t been easy because he’s a man from the club”

After a day of reflection following the painful loss to River Plate, the Football Council of Boca Juniors communicated the decision to Fernando Gago, and once he said goodbye to the entire squad, the news was made official through Chicho Serna to the media present at the Boca Juniors training center with this clear message.

“We just want to inform you that we’ve made a decision, and that is that Fernando Gago and his coaching staff’s time with the institution has come to an end. We’ve made this decision calmly. It hasn’t been easy because he’s a man from the club. But that’s what we’re here for, to make decisions,” said Chicho Serna after the training session. Indeed, it wasn’t an easy decision, as Fernando Gago is someone highly respected for his time as a player at Boca Juniors.

The Copa Libertadores had already sentenced Gago

However, the reality is that Fernando Gago’s tenure at La Bombonera started to falter too early. In October 2024, Juan Román Riquelme was desperately searching for a leader to kick off the new project, and as soon as he picked up the phone, Fernando Gago didn’t hesitate to leave his position as coach of Chivas to take charge of Boca Juniors. Without a doubt, it was the biggest challenge of his career. But even though he had managed to turn things around, the elimination in the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores began to dictate his fate… and the loss to River Plate confirmed it.

“Yesterday, until late into the night, we searched and found a way for Fernando to no longer be our coach today. We are very grateful because he put in all his effort and did his job in the best possible way. There are situations that surely led us to make a final decision, but our gratitude is always there. For us, it’s valuable. As we’ve always done here at the club, without any mysteries, we are normal people, but we make decisions, and that’s why I’m here to communicate it,” concluded Chicho Serna. Thus, Fernando Gago leaves Boca Juniors after six months in charge with a record of 17 wins, 5 draws, and 8 losses.